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<div class="heading">Parables of Talents & Minas</div>
<div class="center"><b>[under construction]</b><br/><br/><br/></div>

<p class="topic">Below are <i>quick links</i> to the topics within this page.</p>
<p class="topic"><a href="#fullScriptures">Full scriptures</a>
<br/>&nbsp; &nbsp; <a href="#talentsScriptures">Scriptures of Parable of the Talents</a> - Matthew 25:14-30
<br/>&nbsp; &nbsp; <a href="#tenMinasScriptures">Scriptures of Parable of the Ten Minas</a> - Luke 19:11-27
</p>
<br/>

<h4 id="talentsMinas">Talents & minas?</h4>
<p>Lo, God do not give as the world gives (John 14:27)...
the talents, minas, pounds, penny, denarius, denarii in the parables 
(Matthew 25:14-30, Luke 19:11-27 <sup>[<a href="#fullScriptures" title="See full scriptures">full scriptures</a>]</sup>) are <b>fruit of the Spirit</b>, 
which believers are to strive for.
</p>
<p>
Each believer has been blessed by certain amount of the fruit of the Spirit and are working towards more; 
into the likeness of Jesus Christ. 
<br/><b>Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect</b> (Matthew 5:48).
</p>
<ul><b>Could the money in the parables be</b>:
<li>
  <b>Skills, languages, strengths and so on that believers possess or will possess?</b>
  <p>They could, God does provide believers with skills required for all types of good service, 
  but are not the pagans, unbelievers in the world have all the more skills than the followers of Christ? 
  <br/>And aren't they equip and train themself to have more?
  <br/>Yet the world is evil and do not do what the Father, Christ and the Holy Spirit says.
  </p>
  <p>What good is it for believers to pursue these things yet forgets what really is the most important?
  The heart of being the new creation is Not the pursue of possessing more of these skills.
  </p>
</li>
<li><b>Number of Christian converts</b> one may have attain?
  <ul>
  <li>Were believers the one who call their brethrens OR is God the one who have chosen them?
    <p>Followers did participate with God, yet surely you who are followers are chosen by God and Not by man. 
    (Matthew 22:14, Luke 18:7, John 13:18, John 15:19, Acts 22:14, Romans 8:33, Romans 16:13, 1 Thessalonians 1:4, James 2:5)
    <br/>As a chosen people (Ephesians 1:11, Colossians 3:12, 1 Peter 2:9)
    </p>
  </li>
  <li>How much are workers expected to get paid? By the number of Christian converts?
    <p>Every workers get the same pay, a denarius, a penny or a day's wages; 
    whether you had work the longer or shorter hours.
    (Matthew 20:1-16, The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard)
    </p>
    <p>Oh, saints of the Most High, you're all brothers and sisters (Matthew 23:8); no one is greater than the other.
    Do not think like the world thinks. 
    <br/><span class="small">Do not think that in doing these work you might get ahead of your brethren, 
    have more skills, more power, rule over kingdoms or command over others; this is Not what Kingdom of God is about,
    it is rather of Goodness and of Love.</span>
    </p>
  </li>
  </ul>
  <b>Be at ease, Jesus are Not telling believers who get the most Christian converts will rule over much of his estate!</b>
  <br/><span class="small">If that's the case, it will be like the world; like multi-level marketing, 
  those who're at the top gets the greatest share and those at the bottom have not enough.</span>
</li>
</ul>
<p>
Now if believers no longer think like what the world thinks then they shall see the Truth in the parables.
</p>
<p>
Thus Lord Jesus speaks of the "money" is the 
<a href="salvation.html#verseGalatians5_14-26" title="See Salvation - Fruit of the Spirit">Fruit of the Spirit</a>, 
in which all believers can equally be servants of Goodness and become the salt and light to the world;
whether they be blind, lame, dumb, deaf, beggars, slave, poor or with any other combination of "hopeless" defects.
</p>

<hr id="fullScriptures"/>
<h4>Full scriptures</h4>
<blockquote><b id="talentsScriptures">Matthew 25 (New International Version)</b>
<br/><b>The Parable of the Talents</b>
<br/><sup class="verseNum">14</sup> "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">15</sup> To one he gave five talents<sup>[A talent was worth more than a thousand dollars.]</sup> of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">16</sup> The man who had received the five <b>talents</b> went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">17</sup> So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">18</sup> But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">19</sup> "After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">20</sup> The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.' 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">21</sup> "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">22</sup> "The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.' 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">23</sup> "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">24</sup> "Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">25</sup> So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.' 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">26</sup> "His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">27</sup> Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">28</sup> " 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">29</sup> For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">30</sup> And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 
<br/>
<br/><b>Matthew 25 (King James Version)</b>
<br/><sup class="verseNum">14</sup> For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">15</sup> And unto one he gave five <b>talents</b>, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">16</sup> Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">17</sup> And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">18</sup> But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">19</sup> After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">20</sup> And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">21</sup> His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">22</sup> He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">23</sup> His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">24</sup> Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">25</sup> And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">26</sup> His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">27</sup> Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">28</sup> Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">29</sup> For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">30</sup> And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 
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<br/><b id="tenMinasScriptures">Luke 19 (New International Version)
<br/>The Parable of the Ten Minas</b>
<br/><sup class="verseNum">11</sup> While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">12</sup> He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">13</sup> So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten <b>minas</b>.<sup>[A mina was about three months' wages.]</sup>'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.' 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">14</sup> "But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.' 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">15</sup> "He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">16</sup> "The first one came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.' 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">17</sup> " 'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.' 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">18</sup> "The second came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned five more.' 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">19</sup> "His master answered, 'You take charge of five cities.' 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">20</sup> "Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">21</sup> I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.' 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">22</sup> "His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">23</sup> Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?' 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">24</sup> "Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.' 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">25</sup> " 'Sir,' they said, 'he already has ten!' 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">26</sup> "He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">27</sup> But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them - bring them here and kill them in front of me." 
<br/>
<br/><b>Luke 19 (King James Version)</b>
<br/><sup class="verseNum">11</sup> And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">12</sup> He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">13</sup> And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten <b>pounds</b>, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">14</sup> But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">15</sup> And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">16</sup> Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">17</sup> And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">18</sup> And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">19</sup> And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">20</sup> And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">21</sup> For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">22</sup> And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">23</sup> Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury? 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">24</sup> And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">25</sup> (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">26</sup> For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him. 
<br/><sup class="verseNum">27</sup> But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me. 
</blockquote>
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